Roman Bogatov released from UFC following foul-filled debut loss to Leonardo Santos

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Roman Bogatov’s stint in the UFC is over after only one fight.

The Russian was released from his contract following a loss to Leonardo Santos at UFC 251 in July. Promotion officials confirmed the news to MMA Fighting on Monday following an initial report from TASS in Russia.

Bogatov’s short career with the UFC came to an end after he engaged in one of the most foul-filled fights in recent memory.

He was cautioned after a pair of illegal knee strikes tagged Santos below the belt. A third illegal blow hit Santos in the head, and at that point referee Marc Goddard issued a rare two-point deduction.

Bogatov ultimately lost the fight by unanimous decision after three rounds.

Prior to his UFC debut, Bogatov had amassed a 10-0 resume including a run as the M-1 lightweight champion. He is the latest athlete to be released by the UFC following news that both Ray Borg and Eric Spicely also had their contracts terminated.

Despite the repeated fouls, Santos managed to keep his sense of humor intact. He cited a previous career fight where he took several illegal shots before winning and quipped, “When it hurts my groin, I win the fight.”

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